Image forming apparatus

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a stacking portion on which a sheet is to be stacked, an image forming unit, a size detection unit, a setting unit, a notification unit, and a control unit. The image forming unit forms an image on a sheet fed from the stacking portion. The size detection unit detects a size of a sheet stacked on the stacking portion. The setting unit sets at least one sheet size to be allowed for use at the image forming apparatus. The notification unit provides notification of information. The control unit causes the notification unit to provide a warning in a case where the size of the sheet detected by the size detection unit is not included in the at least one sheet size set by the setting unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 a stacking portion on which a sheet is to be stacked; 
 an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet fed from the stacking portion; 
 a size detection unit configured to detect a size of a sheet stacked on the stacking portion; 
 a determining unit configured to determine, regardless of a designated sheet size used in an image formation job, an effective size group usable for image forming from among a plurality of size groups, each of which has a different size series of a sheet; 
 a notification unit configured to provide notification of information; and 
 a control unit configured to adopt the sheet size detected by the size detection unit as a size for a sheet in a case where the detected size is included in the effective size group determined by the determining unit, and cause the notification unit to provide a warning in a case where the size of the sheet detected by the size detection unit is not included in the effective size group determined by the determining unit. 
 
     
     
       2. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the size detection unit detects the size of the sheet as a standard size. 
     
     
       3. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the size detection unit includes a length sensor configured to detect a length of the sheet in a conveyance direction of the sheet and a width sensor configured to detect a width of the sheet in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, and 
 wherein the size detection unit detects the size of the sheet based on a result of detection by the length sensor and a result of detection by the width sensor. 
 
     
     
       4. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the determining unit determines at least one of inch-size series, A-size series, B-size series, and K-size series as the effective size group. 
     
     
       5. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the size of the detected sheet is not included in the effective size group, the control unit causes the notification unit to provide notification to prompt a user to restack the detected sheet stacked on the stacking portion. 
     
     
       6. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the stacking portion includes a regulation member that is movable and configured to regulate a position of the stacked sheet, 
 wherein the size detection unit detects the size of the sheet based on a position of the regulation member, and 
 wherein, in a case where the size of the detected sheet is not included in the effective size group, the control unit causes the notification unit to provide notification to prompt the user to adjust the position of the regulation member. 
 
     
     
       7. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the size of the detected sheet is not included in the effective size group, the control unit causes the notification unit to provide notification to prompt the user to change the effective size group. 
     
     
       8. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein a plurality of the stacking portions is provided, and 
 wherein the determining unit independently determines, for each of the plurality of stacking portions, the effective size group. 
 
     
     
       9. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the size of the detected sheet is not included in the effective size group, the control unit prohibits initiation of image formation using the detected sheet stacked on the stacking portion. 
     
     
       10. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the determining unit determines at least one size group which is manually selected from among the plurality of the size groups as the effective size group. 
     
     
       11. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a memory configured to store area information indicating an area where the image forming apparatus is used,
 wherein the determining unit determines the effective size group according to the area information. 
 
     
     
       12. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 a stacking portion on which a sheet is to be stacked; 
 an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet fed from the stacking portion; 
 a size detection unit configured to detect a size of a sheet stacked on the stacking portion; 
 a determining unit configured to determine, regardless of a designated sheet size used in an image formation job, an effective sheet size usable for image forming from among a plurality of sheet sizes; 
 a notification unit configured to provide notification of information; and 
 a control unit configured to adopt the sheet size detected by the size detection unit as a size for a sheet in a case where the detected size is included in the effective sheet size determined by the determining unit, and cause the notification unit to provide a warning in a case where the size of the sheet detected by the size detection unit is not included in the effective sheet size determined by the determining unit. 
 
     
     
       13. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 a stacking portion on which a sheet is to be stacked; 
 an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet fed from the stacking portion; 
 a size detection unit configured to detect a size of a sheet stacked on the stacking portion; 
 an obtaining unit configured to obtain area information indicating an area where the image forming apparatus is used, 
 a determining unit configured to determine an effective size group usable for image forming from among a plurality of size groups, each of which has a different size series of a sheet, based on the area information; 
 a notification unit configured to provide notification of information; and 
 a control unit configured to adopt the sheet size detected by the size detection unit as a size for a sheet in a case where the detected size is included in the effective size group determined by the determining unit, and cause the notification unit to provide a warning in a case where the size of the sheet detected by the size detection unit is not included in the effective size group determined by the determining unit. 
 
     
     
       14. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 13 , further comprising a charging unit configured to manually charge an effective size group determined by the determining unit,
 wherein the control unit adopts the sheet size detected by the size detection unit as a size for a sheet in a case where the detected size is included in the effective size group changed by the changing unit, and cause the notification unit to provide a warning in a case where the size of the sheet detected by the size detection unit is not included in the effective size group changed by the changing unit. 
 
     
     
       15. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the obtaining unit includes a memory which has stored area information indicating an area where the image forming apparatus is used. 
     
     
       16. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 a stacking portion on which a sheet is to be stacked; 
 an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet fed from the stacking portion; 
 a size detection unit configured to detect a size of a sheet stacked on the stacking portion; 
 a determining unit configured to determine an ineffective size group unusable for image forming from among a plurality of size groups, each of which has a different size series of a sheet; 
 a notification unit configured to provide notification of information; and 
 a control unit configured to adopt the sheet size detected by the size detection unit as a size for a sheet in a case where the detected size is not included in the ineffective size group determined by the determining unit, and cause the notification unit to provide a warning in a case where the size of the sheet detected by the size detection unit is included in the ineffective size group determined by the determining unit. 
 
     
     
       17. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 a stacking portion on which a sheet is to be stacked; 
 an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet fed from the stacking portion; 
 a size detection unit configured to detect a size of a sheet stacked on the stacking portion; 
 a determining unit configured to determine an effective size group usable for image forming from among a plurality of size groups including inch-size series and A-size series; 
 a notification unit configured to provide notification of information; and 
 a control unit configured to adopt the sheet size detected by the size detection unit as a size for a sheet in a case where the detected size is included in the effective size group determined by the determining unit, and cause the notification unit to provide a warning in a case where the size of the sheet detected by the size detection unit is not included in the effective size group determined by the determining unit.